In the printing arts, and in particular in the printed label art for labeling and decorating objects, there exists a continual demand for labels and decorations which not only appeal to consumers, but also bear ever increasing amounts of information. For example, labels for identification of health care and pharmaceutical products are often required by governmental regulations to describe in painstaking detail their compositions and ingredients. As new food and drug laws are passed, regulations require the inclusion of increasing amounts of label information. As another example, labels for identification of agricultural and industrial products are similarly required by governmental regulations to describe their compositions and ingredients by way of, e.g., “material safety data sheets” and the like.
One label that has gained wide popularity is a so-called “roll-fed” label. A roll-fed label commonly utilizes a continuous label substrate or ply comprising paper, or a clear or opaque film such as polypropylene, or a combination of paper and film. In such an individual label, in its final state, the label ply is usually rectangular, as defined by a desired label width associated with a widthwise dimension and a desired label length associated with a lengthwise dimension (transverse to the widthwise dimension). The label ply has opposing first and second ends, along with front and back surfaces. Desired graphics are typically printed on the front surface of the label ply, and may also be printed on the back surface. In application of the roll-fed label to an object to be labeled, e.g., a cylindrical container, a widthwise portion of the back surface of the label ply at the first end thereof is adhered to the container by means of an adhesive material at point of application from labeling equipment. The ply, having been adhesively secured to the container at the first end, is then placed in circular fashion around the container and adhesively secured at the second end of the ply. The length of the ply is usually chosen to approximate a circumference of the container, to minimize excessive overlap of the opposing ends of the label substrate applied to the container. The application of the label to the container may be carried out by any suitable roll-fed label applicator such as those available from, e.g., Krones A.G. of Regensburg, Germany, and B&H Labeling Systems of Ceres, Calif., U.S.A.
Roll-fed labels of the type described herein are manufactured for application by customers using conventional roll-fed labeling equipment or machines. They are produced without any adhesive material on the back surface of the label ply; and as such they are provided to customers in roll form as a web.
Typically, at point of application, a web of labels in roll form is introduced to a customer's label application machine which cuts the web into individual labels and applies them to objects to be labeled (e.g., containers). Any adhesive material used to apply the labels to the objects is supplied by the label application machine at the point of application and is generally applied to adhere the leading and trailing edge portions of the labels.
Therefore, there exists a need for a resealable label for roll-fed label application equipment or machines, that does not require significant changes to label ply materials or other labeling components. There also exists a need for a resealable label that satisfactorily functions when applied to a container such as a conventional aerosol spray can, subsequently with a cap, even when the cap abuts or covers a portion of the label.